


The Meaning of "Family"

by archangelithuriel



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Semi swears like a sailor, TenSemi Week 2017, family stuff, shameless fluff, there's some shiragoshi if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 06:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9421919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archangelithuriel/pseuds/archangelithuriel
Summary: TenSemi discuss the meaning of family, ft. the rest of Shiratorizawa being dorks.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Day one of TenSemi week - family
> 
> I decided to steer away from the obvious path of talking about their blood families or them staring a family together and talk about finding family bonds within friendship instead °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Things were usually hectic at practice, and today was no different. Kawanishi was napping in a corner, Shirabu and Goshiki were arguing about god only knows what, Yamagata had lost his phone for the hundredth time that day, and Ushijima and Reon were actually practicing. Or rather, they were _trying_ to practice. Semi wasn't too sure it was working well amidst the chaos of the gym. But this chaos was normal, it was expected. Semi would've been more surprised if things weren't chaotic. What did surprise him, however, was Tendou. For as long as they had known each other, Tendou had always been in an apparently constant state of motion. He was always moving in some way, even if he was just tapping his fingers of moving his foot. But right now he sat perfectly still, watching the chaos of practice with a bittersweet smile on his face. Semi frowned as he watched Tendou. He'd never seen him like this before. Had it been anyone else he would've just ignored it, but Tendou had been acting strangely since their loss to Karasuno at the finals and frankly, Semi was starting to worry.

"Hey," he said softly, sitting down beside Tendou. "Everything okay?"

Tendou nodded silently in response, not looking at Semi. If he wasn't so concerned for his boyfriend, Semi would've been pissed at being brushed off like that but as things were, he couldn't bring himself to be angry with the red haired teen.

"You sure?" he pressed gently, leaning a little closer. "You've been kinda out of it lately."

Tendou bit his lip then nodded again. "Yeah, I'm... I've just been thinking, that's all."

Tendou's voice was uncharacteristically quiet, and Semi frowned. "Satori-"

"What does family mean to you?" Tendou asked suddenly, cutting off the setter. "I mean like, is family just... people who are related by blood or law?" Before Semi could answer, Tendou continued. "I've... been thinkin' about family a lot lately. And what it means to be a family, ya'know? I just- I'm quitting volleyball after this. And losing to Karasuno got me thinkin' about the team and everythin' and I realized somethin' about you guys. I've never been all that close to my family and I never really had any friends. At least not before comin' here. But you guys just accepted me without question. No one had ever done that before. You guys were the first people to even give me a chance and I- You guys are like a family to me and now-" Tendou cut himself off, shaking his head. "I'm ramblin'. Don't mind me."

Semi was staring at Tendou in shock. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he impulsively hugged the red haired teen. "God Satori," he muttered. "Never knew you could get so fucking sappy."

Tendou froze as Semi hugged him, shocked by the unexpected contact. "Heh, I didn't either," he said as Semi pulled away from him again. "I meant it though. You guys mean more to me than my blood family ever has. I feel so... at home here. Like I can just be myself and nobody'll care. I've never felt like that before. I'm not sure I'm ready to lose that. Not like I have much choice though," he added, sounding pained. Semi frowned again, then shook his head and pulled Tendou into another hug.

"You're not losing anything, Satori. Except maybe your sanity, if you really think you can escape us that easily." He laughed, resting his forehead on Tendou's shoulder. "You said we're like family, right? Well families stick together, no matter what, so you'd better fucking prepare yourself 'cause it's gonna be a long time before you get away from us. Besides, my mom would never forgive me if I let you just disappear on her. She's practically adopted you at this point."

Tendou laughed, and Semi smiled at the sound of it. "Well I wouldn't wanna disappoint your mom, now would I?" Tendou said, still laughing.

"No," Semi said with a smile. "And about... what you said. When you asked if family was just people you're related to. I don't think.... I don't think blood or law relationships really have anything to do with family. It all comes down to the relationships you form with people. Whoever you feel safe and happy and comfortable with, whoever accepts you and all your flaws and does anything and everything they can to help you, the people that you'd do anything for - that's who your family is."

Tendou hummed in response, then suddenly grabbed Semi and kissed him. The setter blinked in surprise then blushed right red, hiding his face in his hands. From somewhere across the gym Semi heard someone yell "get a room" and he groaned. "What the fuck Satori? Why in hell did you go and do that?"

Tendou shrugged, laughing at Semi's embarrassment. "Dunno. Just felt like it." He got up, stretching his lanky limbs in preparation for practice. He stopped as he was about to walk towards the others, leaning down to hug Semi. "And thank you."

Semi blushed even deeper red, praying his voice didn't break as he answered. "Yeah, whatever. Go practice or whatever shit it was you were going to do." Tendou laughed as he walked away to "practice with Wakkun." And by "practice with Wakkun" he meant "harass Ushijima with manga and anime until he finally gives in and agrees to watch and/or read it." Semi looked watched the team for a few more moments, thinking about the things Tendou had said. Reon had given up on practicing and had instead devoted his time to helping Yamagata find his phone. Shirabu was pretending to be irritated as he set to Goshiki, though Semi noticed the fond smile that touched the blonde setter's lips at the future ace's enthusiastic efforts. Kawanishi had finally stopped napping and was instead playing a game on his phone. And then there was Tendou and Ushijima, a seemingly impossible friendship. But there they were, Ushijima listening intently as Tendou talked endlessly about whatever show it was he'd been watching lately. Semi smiled to himself as he watched his teammates interact. They really were a family, he decided. A weird, somewhat dysfunctional family, but a family all the same. And he wouldn't change it for anything.

But he was _really_ going to have to talk to Tendou about kissing him during practice. After all, there were children in the room.


End file.
